Insanity's Grasp
by VexTheVexing
Summary: What if Anna was told that Elsa had killed herself, after years of seclusion? Would Anna live her life, reigning as Queen, while harboring depression and guilt, whilst Elsa lost her sanity? Will Anna lose herself with her obsession with her newly discovered sister, or will there be a sweet ending?
1. Chapter 1

Anna had just been wandering around in the abandoned wing of the castle, after escaping from the overbearingly watchful gazes of the loyal servants who roamed the castle in order to fulfill their duties. Sometimes a Queen just needed to be left to her thoughts, free to be as expressive as she desired- without someone asking if she was having digestive issues.

It wasn't often that she was able to sneak off without being caught, due to her clumsy antics and complete lack of stealth. Even if she had managed to find herself isolated, it was always only temporary; someone would find her long before she was able to complete her thought process. Which most often were about her sister, Elsa.

Her sister was quite the sensitive topic, the servants rarely uttered her name in her presence, before catching them self and immediately saying that they were needed elsewhere. Probably to escape the Queen's intense gaze which snapped to the servant so quickly that it was a miracle she hadn't suffered whiplash. Anna hadn't seen Elsa in over a decade, which at first caused the strawberry-blonde to fall into depression for the first couple of years. Until her parents had told her that Elsa had taken her own life.

Her depression worsened immensely until Anna just became numb. When her parents failed to return from their voyage six months later, Anna lost herself completely. Each day had the same routine: Get up, get dressed, eat, force a smile, stand there looking pretty, sign documents, eat, and retreat to her bedroom. Each night she sobbed, feeling loneliness crash over her despite the fact that she was constantly surrounded by people. Which only served to mock her loneliness because she knew that no one could understand.

No one could possibly replace Elsa.

It was right after she had hidden from servants that hurried by, that she heard it. Pulling away from the thick magenta drapes, she watched as the three workers practically scurried towards a dull noise that sounded in the distance. After taking a few tentative strides forward, she was able to make out the high-pitched noise. Staggering a few steps, her lips mouthed the two-syllable word, screams, before sprinting in the direction the servants went.

* * *

The same iced over walls stared back at Elsa, as they have for as long as she could remember, reflecting harsh lights and revealing hollowed eyes when Elsa glanced around her room. Even when she looked down, at the floor, her reflection stared blankly back at her, silently mocking her. They only way she could avoid the daunting stare was to squeeze her eyes shut and clap her hands over her ears to prevent the sounds of her screams from bouncing around in her head. It was a shame that there was no such thing as relief from the endless torment.

Memories of being able to control her powers only served to mock her further, for the unstable emotions from being in such a habitat only caused Elsa to panic and lose control, strengthening the impromptu mirrors with each scream. Screams which constantly tore from Elsa's sore throat, until she lost consciousness, and dreamt of darkness. When she woke, a tray of food would be waiting on the floor. It was the only thing that showed her that there were people living outside of her endless nightmare, but how could she be certain that they were real? After all she hadn't seen anyone in such a long time.

Her father hadn't stopped by to check on her in what felt like years, and she couldn't even recall what her mother looked like. She had no idea how long she had suffered by herself, she wasn't sure if it was just an ongoing nightmare, or if she had actually spent over a decade locked in the blasted room. She had long since outgrown her bed, instead spending her time curled up in an iced over corner with her knees pulled to her chest, face buried in her arms, and eyes squeezed tightly shut as whimpers escaped her. When she hadn't made the mistake of looking up, that is.

Today, much like every other day, Elsa had looked. Screams bounced around as she clawed at her ears in a futile attempt to block the noise, and in an attempt to overpower the screeches, she screamed louder. She hadn't learned that she was only making it worse, since years of complete isolation had robbed her of most of her sanity and logic.

Her trembling fingers moved to yank harshly on her hair as she thrashed against the icy floor, tears making the path down her cheeks before freezing and flaking. Her head bounced off of the floor repeatedly, only furthering her endless suffering. She had no form of comfort, her nightmares only taunted her with images of her family laying bloodied around her, with spikes of ice protruding grotesquely from their limp forms. Even little innocent Anna, whose mouth was contorted in a frozen scream as Elsa stood by with arms wrapped around herself. Elsa was convinced that she had killed them, and since she had no Anna to prove that her sister was well and breathing, Elsa could only blame herself.

Garbled thoughts raced through her mind, with mere slivers she could make sense of: _'You idiot... Why couldn't you save them... Anna is dead because of you...'_ Cold fingers moved to scratch at scarred flesh, a finger nail or two missing from past endeavors. Elsa, quite simply, was broken. She couldn't be certain that Anna, her beloved sister, had even existed in her demented world. Or if her father and mother had ever visited her in her frozen prison, after all, it was them who locked her up and threw away the key... Right?

Blood welled up in the long gashes as fingers clawed off the clotted blood which had previously stanched the flow. A sharp pain- another fingernail torn off. It all blended together in Elsa's disheveled mind. What's one scratch? Nothing could compare to the echoing screams or the rawness that lay in her throat, or even the burning in her lungs.

She had missed the pounding on her door, her endless high-pitched screams over powering the thundering noise. She had also missed the loud thud as a body rammed into the door that was frozen into place. And most certainly she had missed someone screaming her /She hadn't although, completely missed the feeling as hands grabbed at her.

* * *

**(A/N) Hello peoples! This is my first time uploading anything to this site, or rather, posting something online. I plan on making the chapters longer after this, but I couldn't get myself to add more to this. I hope you enjoyed o.o**


	2. Chapter 2

She noticed with a choked sob, that they were outside Elsa's old room. The familiar snowflake design on the door, which she had spent seemingly endless hours staring at as little Anna tried to coax her sister out of her room, caused a familiar, painful heart-throb, which was chased by a shudder, forced her to take moved towards the group of a dozen, panting softly as she tried to catch her breath. A hushed voice stood out above the others, "Make sure the Queen isn't in this wing; we can't risk her hearing."

Anna froze, just a step away from the speaker, a gasp slipping past her parted lips, catching the attention of several of the group members. The speaker, Gerda, stiffened before slowly turning towards Anna with a horrified expression plastered on her face. The ongoing screaming was beginning to decrescendo in volume, and this urged the Queen forward as something heavy settled low in her stomach. Hands reached out to block her path, but she pushed them out-of-the-way, leaving the servants no choice but to allow Anna through; it wasn't worth getting tried for treason against royalty.

As Anna reached for the doorknob, she hesitated as coldness wafted from the metal, causing a chill to run up her spine. Steeling herself with a deep breath, she grasped the door knob, allowing her slightly clammy hands melt away the thin layer of frost. She wasn't surprised that the contraption wouldn't open without effort, so she threw her shoulder into the door with all her might. Pain shot through her bones, but she refused to give in so easily; she needed to see what was hidden in the room. She attempted to open the barrier twice more, before a servant decided to aid her. She saw with a sidelong glance that it was Kai.

Together, they managed to force it open in three more rams, causing the door to slam open viciously into the wall. It made a bizarre cracking noise, which went unnoticed by most as multiple sets of eyes took in the completely frozen over room, with gaping mouths. Anna's eyes were on her sister who collapsed in front of them. She slipped forward, the ice refusing to allow her easy passage. Anna ended up on her knees before Elsa, and reached out hesitantly to check if it was actually her or just another dream. She half expected to find blood pooling on the iced over floor, the blonde's wrists slit, but was both relieved and horrified that her fingers touched cool flesh.

A gasp sounded behind her, followed by a curse. The Queen of Arendelle paid them no mind, forgetting their invading presence as she wrapped her arms around her sister's gaunt form and pulled her into her lap. She cradled Elsa's limp head with a warm palm, and it was then when she felt the biting chill that was her sister's temperature. She didn't recoil however, instead opting to caress the blonde's cheek as she marveled at the flawless skin for several long moments, until a hand hesitantly tapped her shoulder, causing Anna to jerk as if she had been shoved. Anna slowly looked over her shoulder at the servants, taking note of the saddened look that Kai and Gerda offered her, eyes full of pity. She felt the rage grow inside, causing her to grow tense under the servants' gaze. And for the first time in forever, Anna snapped.

"What the hell are you idiots standing around for!? Do none of you have nothing better to do than to hide secrets from the fucking Queen and then you bastards have the fucking nerve to gawk?!" Anna screamed, the words spilling from her with such ease, it almost scared her. A moment of tense silence as the people accused stand there, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. After all, the Queen had never uttered a single curse before, much less lashed out with such spite. Anna continued to glare at them with unwavering intensity whilst she drew in jagged breaths through her mouth. Watching with growing frustration that the servants didn't bother to move away, or in the very least to look ashamed, her anger spiked.

"You bastards hid the fact that my sister is fucking ALIVE for nine years! None of you bastards had the fucking decency to fucking tell me otherwise?" Then, her voice dropped, but the level of hostility was increased, if possible. "Get out, before I hang you all for treason."

The servants glanced at each other, in shock, before turning around and scampering down the hall, away from the scene. Only Kai and Gerda lingered, but were painfully aware that their presence would only serve to anger the Queen further. With a shake of Gerda's head, she and Kai slowly began walking away, muttering: "If only we hadn't promised the King, God bless his soul." The fuming Anna barely resisted the urge to slam the door after they departed, but she reasoned that the servants wouldn't pester her after that outburst. And with just a single glance to her sister, her beautiful sister... The scowl was replaced with an unsettling grin.

* * *

The Queen of Arendelle had carried her sister to her own private chambers, noticing how light she was. Anna was painfully aware of how underweight her darling Elsa was, if the sunken in cheeks wasn't an obvious enough sign. Anna nibbled on her lower lip as she glanced down at her beautiful sister; the redhead's hand hesitating centimeters away from the unhealthily pale skin. Noticing with a gasp, the blood that trickled down her sister's jaw, she jumped up and ran to retrieve a basin of warm water and a cloth. Thinking of the basic health lesson that she was forced to sit through once when she had skinned her knee as a child, she grabbed a bottle of disinfectant as well. Barely a minute later, Anna had counted under her breath, and she returned to her unconscious sibling. She set the filled basin on the night stand and set out on the task of washing Elsa's face.

Ten minutes later, she had the blonde hair untangled and free of dried blood, allowing her to see the full extent of her sister's facial injuries. She traced the wet cloth along the faint scar tissue that took over the edges of Elsa's face, and saw that the fresh injuries weren't incredibly terrible, if properly treated and allowed time to heal, they wouldn't scar like the others. Next, she moved to Elsa's matted dress, which was heavily torn and barely fit the young woman. With a grimace, she peeled the fabric off which clung to her like a second skin, before tossing it aside to dispose of later. Several bruises of different colors marred the pale flesh: blue, purple, yellow, and a soft sigh, Anna decided to clean Elsa completely, under the guise of checking for further injuries. Internally though, she just needed an excuse to touch her long lost Elsa.

* * *

Elsa woke with a nightmare riddled mind. A shadow had driven her from her safe haven, despite her pitiful pleas. Smoke had filled her room, followed by flames that danced forward, eager to lick at her flesh as she desperately tried to get the window open. When she had finally managed to throw it open, the flames had reached her, engulfing her dress. A high-pitched scream could be heard, and Elsa realized with a rush of fear that it was her sister calling for help. She glanced between the bedroom door which was engulfed in flames, and the open window which allowed a cool breeze to caress her skin. While biting her lip, as punishment for her decision, she escaped out the window, allowing her sister to be burnt alive.

* * *

**(A/N) Sorry for the late update. I was finishing this chapter on my phone and it kept glitching (yes, autocorrect, glitching is the word I want to use, not "clutching"). Also, sorry for the false update. My phone messed up the coding so I took it down to repair it. Enjoy and stuffs!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N) I'm posting this up here this time because it's actually important. I have to credit DaniCZJ for helping me with this chapter (in a huuuuuuuge way). So, go check out her stories, because they are amazing!**

* * *

When Anna had found Elsa, she appeared to be terrified and in pain as she stood on the balcony overlooking the currently abandoned courtyard. The blonde had her shoulders hunched and her arms wrapped around her torso, as if trying to curl into herself. Before the Queen's mind had a chance to process the situation, the name had already slipped from her lips.

"Elsa..."

Elsa stiffened for several long moments as her heart tried with much vigor to burst from her chest. Her hand, on its own accord, slipped up her torso to restrain her pounding chest.

Turning to glance at the one who spoke her name, a gasp escaped both of them for similar reasons: Anna, for the shiver that ran along her spine as the icy blue eyes met her own, and Elsa, for the spark of familiarity that the redhead caused.

"A-Anna? Is that... You..?" the blonde visibly cringed at the unpleasant sensation her sore throat brought, causing her voice to be raspy. Elsa's arms tightened around herself in a restraint; she couldn't trust herself not to betray her will, much less her powers. Anna was too wrapped up in her own shock to notice the flurry of snowflakes that fell to the ground behind Elsa.

She nodded frantically, her voice momentarily forgotten as she took a step towards Elsa, her hand reaching out desperately to touch the pale skin. But Elsa stumbled backwards to avoid the seeking fingers, eyes widening in fear. "N-no! Stay back! I don't want to hurt you!"

"Hurt me?" Anna almost laughed at the bizarre statement, incredulous. "Elsa, I know that you would never hurt me! I don't need to speak with you every day to know this- although it would have been preferable..." she grumbled the last part quietly.

The Queen of Arendelle pressed forward once again, and Elsa found herself running out of space to back into. The cool stone of the rail pressed painfully into her waist, but the blonde who appeared desperate to elude the approaching Anna, didn't register the mildly uncomfortable sensation.

Anna reached out for her sister's shoulder, but once again Elsa dodged her hand by shifting to the side. Elsa ducked under the extended arm which sought to catch her, and scampered away. Emotions running high, neither noticed the ice which grew under Elsa's feet until the blonde slipped.

Anna could feel her heart stop as she witnessed Elsa's desperate look as she fell, betrayal tainting the icy blue eyes. The Queen tried to grab her sister, her fingertips seeking to grasp fabric, but she was_ just_ out her reach. Elsa's head bounced off of the chilled stone of the railing, before it met the floor, effectively rendering her unconscious.

Anna wasted no time in scooping up her fallen sister, a frown marring her features. She cradled the limp body in her lap as she sat on the balcony, sighing as she noticed the small trail of blood running down gaunt cheeks, beginning at Elsa's temple. The redhead caressed her formerly lost sibling's cheek as she clicked her tongue in a soft chides. "Oh, my beautiful Elsa... Why couldn't you have just listened to me? We could have avoided this entire confrontation," she mused sadly.

The snowflakes ceased their descent.

* * *

When Elsa was safely tucked into the large mattress of the Queen's chambers, Anna left to converse with the castle's herb specialist after locking the door behind her. She couldn't risk her precious sister running off and getting herself injured again, now could she?

On the way to the servant's wing of the castle, she passed the library. Anna hesitated in her passing, before she gave a sigh and pushed her way into the room she hadn't been in since childhood.

Noticing the lack of dust in a room that had long since been abandoned, a bitter thought crossed the Queen's mind. _It seems they are capable of keeping up "some" of their responsibilities._

The redhead wracked her brain for the location of the books on herbs, as her eyes scanned the multiple shelves chocked full of books of different color, width, age, and genres. It only took a few seconds before Anna began crossing the cold and dimly lit room, her eyes set on a shelf that was off to the side.

With an irritated huff, she really realized that the books she needed were just out of her reach. Spotting an old wooden stepping stool, she dragged it over to the bookshelf, nearly tripping on her dress in the process.

It was at times like these that she cursed the council, for not allowing dressing in a more practical way. "Your Majesty! Looking like a lad will not attract suitors!" they always said. Anna had no desire for marriage, but this was one of the many things they wouldn't allow to slide_. Just how they didn't notify me of Elsa! _

Once she retrieved three books that were heavier then what they appeared to be, Anna heard a crack. _Oh no... Please don-_ she fell as the ladder broke under the extra weight.

* * *

Once she found the withered old man, who went by the name of Grand Pabbie, she thought about how she should approach her request without giving away her plan.

_It isn't like he doesn't know about Elsa,_ she thought, already disliking the man. Surely he could have told her? _Wait... Why didn't anyone tell me? What held them back from doing so?_

"Do you have any Vacha in your inventory?" the Queen asked, the unfamiliar word nearly causing her to stutter. Grand Pabbie blinked at her, startled by her request of a specific ingredient. She usually only asked for something to soothe her upset stomach on the _rare_ occasion she ate too much chocolate.

"I believe so, Your Majesty, but may I inquire why you would require such an exotic thing? Are you aware of its properties?" to Anna, his tone was patronizing. It caused a spark of anger to rush through her, and she barely refrained from snarling her response. "Of course I do, why would I ask for it if I didn't know what it did!?"

She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. In a strained voice, she recited what she recalled from the book. " Vacha is used as a sedative, sleeping aid, nervine and rejuvenator of the nervous system. It is also used to reduce fatigue and to improve memory." _I think..._

The old man stared at her, unsure how she would have figured out the uses of such an uncommon plant. He knew he couldn't openly defy the Queen's wishes, but he had a foreboding feeling in his gut that it wasn't going to be used for purely good reasons. But regardless, he went back into the pantry to retrieve a small pouch of the requested item, already crushed into a fine powder.

Anna's eyes widened, she hadn't believed that her plan would actually work. Quickly, before the herb specialist could register her shocked expression, she forced her features into a neutral state as she accepted the leather pouch. _It's too late to back out of this now;_ she thought to herself as she turned on her heel and left the room.

* * *

When Elsa awoke, she noticed a dull throb in her temple. The light of the setting sun crept through the thick curtains, nearly blinding her with the unfamiliar orange glow. As she tried to sit up, two things refused her the action: her spinning head and an overly warm arm draped across her waist.

_At least it's not unbearably hot anymore_, the blonde thought drowsily as she tried to blink away the remnants of her peaceful slumber. That was when she realized that she hadn't dreamt of killing Anna, or her parents disowning her. It was an extremely pleasant change of things.

_But why is there an arm around my- oh._ Elsa blinked as the redhead nuzzled herself into the blonde's shoulder with a small hum. It only took a moment before she grew uncomfortable with the warmth that was seeping off of Anna. A tingling sensation began in her stomach, causing Elsa to throw the arm that was around her to the side and leapt out of the bed.

The blonde crossed her arms over her stomach in a vain attempt to stop the spread of the too familiar feeling; she knew that if she allowed it to continue, Anna would get hurt. She had to calm herself or the life she had hoped for would be gone before it even began.

Glancing around the large and cluttered room, she spotted the glass doors which led to the balcony from before. She eagerly crossed the room to it, stumbling on the various dresses that littered the floor. Once outside, she released a breath she wasn't aware she was holding, and glanced at the star speckled sky above her.

Anna had been awoken by the sudden movement. Her arm was sore from the rude treatment it received, and she rubbed it in attempts to soothe it. Sitting up, she spotted Elsa outside star gazing. _She's adorable... But night time is for sleeping._

The redhead stood and crept to the door that led to the hallway and returned not even five minutes later, carrying a tray of tea. She closed the door as quietly as she could to prevent catching Elsa's attention, but she ended up knocking her elbow against the door frame as she turned around.

Silently cursing her klutziness, but thankful the tray didn't slip out of her grasp, she gave a sheepish grin at Elsa, who was now watching her with confusion. _When did Anna wake up? _ Elsa thought, thoroughly dumbfounded.

Anna placed the tray on the mattress carefully- the servants had warned her many times about the difficulty of removing stains from silken sheets- and gestured for her sister to return inside. Elsa wasn't too eager to leave the cool embrace of the wind, but she couldn't just ignore her sister. They had a lot of time to make up, after all.

"What woke you up?" Anna asked as she poured the tea into the two cups.

Elsa bit her lip and considered lying, but decided against it. Her sister deserved the truth, "I just needed some fresh air," or at least part of the truth.

"I see... I have something that should help you sleep, 'cause no offense, but you look like you need it."

Upon hearing no protests from Elsa, -she _did_ feel drained- Anna pulled out the small leather pouch from her night dress. Sending the blonde a reassuring smile, she pulled out a pinch of the powder and sprinkled it into one of the cups.

They each picked up their respective cups and after waiting impatiently for Elsa blow on hers, (she swore she saw frost form on the porcelain) they took a tentative sip of the tea. Elsa nearly gagged at the bitterness that the powder caused as well as the fact that she hadn't tasted tea before and wasn't sure what to expect.

Anna nearly laughed at her expression of distaste, but settled for biting her lip. She didn't want to offend her sister, after all. That would mess everything up, and it would be much harder to protect her precious Elsa.

Once Elsa had managed to choke down the remaining liquid, she finally noticed how intensely the redhead was watching her. It made her uncomfortable, so she averted her gaze and turned her body slightly in hopes that Anna would get the message. Going off of the silence and the feeling of eyes burning into her shoulder; she hadn't.

* * *

Elsa awoke to the sound of her name being called from a distance. It was a familiar voice she could not place. Sitting up she looked around the room, still groggy from the medicine Anna gave her. The voice was closer now; she could hear it more clearly.

"Elsa? Elsa where are you?"

"Papa is that you?" Elsa longed to see her parents again- Anna told her they went away on a voyage to another land and left Anna here to rule as Queen until they returned. She got up quietly, trying to avoid waking up Anna who was sleeping in the bed with her.

Elsa got to the door, opening it just enough to slide out into the hallway. She saw a tall man walking away wearing a dark coat with gold trim. "Papa?" The man stopped and turned around.

_It's him! After all these years he returned and now we can be a family again!_ Elsa rushed over to him to give him a hug, but he put a hand out stopping her. "Elsa…What were you doing in Anna's room? You know you're not supposed to be in there."

"Everything is okay Papa; Anna is taking care of me now," she responded, slightly deflated.

He ignored her words. "Why are you not in your room?"

"I can't go back in there! It is a terrible place."

"I told you never to leave your room and to never see Anna again! You disobeyed me; your own father and King!"

"Anna took me from my room. She made everything better!"

He was angry; she could see it in the lines of his face, his jaw was tensed, and green eyes were clouded over.

He stood clenching and unclenching his fist slowly. She tentatively walked forward arms outstretched welcoming a hug. "I'm sorry," she murmured hesitantly.

"Silence!" he shouted, his voice echoing throughout the empty halls of the castle. She became frightened of the horrible anger she saw in his eyes. "You - you -" He halted his words, too furious to continue. She began weeping softly, her tears running down her face. Ignoring her distress, he began to pace in a tight circle. "You betrayed my orders. I want to know why."

Between sobs she managed to choke out, "I - I don't know. Please, believe me!"

He snarled, "I wish I could believe you." With a low growl, he raised his hand and struck her across the face, sending her crashing into a suit of armor. She let out a sharp cry reaching up to lightly touch her cheek. A few drops of blood appeared on her fingertips. "That'll teach you to disobey me!"

She cowered, her sobs growing heavier with every breath. He turned his back on her walking away.

Elsa called out, "Please! Don't leave me! I love you!" Pausing for a moment he looked back at her. "Look at yourself. Pathetic, a worthless nothing! No daughter of mine would behave like you! You're dead to me!" With that he proceeds to walk away.

His words shot through her heart like an arrow!

She couldn't survive without him, he was her father. She needed him. _What is wrong with me? I try the best I can to be a good girl and what do I get for my efforts? I get disowned!_ Elsa in an emotional rage picked up the spear from the pile of armor she toppled over. Tears streaming down her face she charged after her father. He turned around just before the spearhead pierced his abdomen. "Elsa nooo!"

The sound of Anna's voice brought Elsa back to reality. "What have you done!?" Elsa looked horrified. The body she impaled was not her father anymore. It was Gerda the handmaid!

_The sound of the crashing armor must have sent her to investigate_, some distant part of Elsa's mind thought. Elsa released her tight grasp on the spear and turned to face Anna with tears in her eyes. "Anna, I'm scared!"

Gerda's body fell to the floor. Nearby servants rushed to her aid, but it was too late. Gerda was dead.

Outside, a terrible storm conjured out of nowhere. Despite being the middle of summer, snow fell heavily from the sky.


End file.
